Unknown time and dateExtract of Sanctioned Sangheili Eavesdrop •For the Attention of Jiralhanae Military Adjunct Ambassador.
"I wonder about the Humans, Commander. Their technology is limited, but some of it is useful and their battle techniques are impressive. They are excellent strategists. But what II ask is this: Why have we not offered them the absolution of the Covenant? From the beginning of this war, the Prophets have made no attempt to absorb them or even offer the option of honorable submission. Why?"
"Perhaps they fear them? We do not know where their homeworld is. Their pattern of retreat is either hopelessly random, or brilliantly conceived. What if the Humans have more power, more numbers than we suspect? What if they lead us to a trap?"
"No. I do not think that is the reasoning. They continue to lose territory, and pattern or no pattern, these defenses must be part of a perimeter. I suspect we are forcing them into a tighter arena than to care to fight in – soon we may be able to use the Sharquoi. And their victories, however few, always rely on the same thing – strategy, brute force or luck. No. The only secret they hold is the location of their homeworld."
"What about the atrocity at Halo? That was not luck, nor brute force. The Demon is a mystery. He outwitted and outfought entire legions on Halo. Perhaps there are more like him?"
"I do not believe that. We have seen their kind before and destroyed them. Their numbers have dwindled and there have been no reported sightings since our victory at Reach."
"Then why do we continue to hunt them? When surely they merit consideration to accept and embrace the Covenant?"
"Let us discuss this at a more prudent moment."
(A Jiralhanae approaches)
1228 hours, March 29, 2553 (UNSC Military Calendar) •Control Room, Delta Halo.
"Then where…where would someone go to activate the other rings?"
"Why, the Ark, of course."
"And where, Oracle, is that?"
"The location," he replied, "is unknown. There appears to be no information located in the ring's databanks."
Johnson's hand grasped the trigger of his beam rifle. "Listen you little light bulb, you're gonna tell us where the damn Ark is and what its purpose is."
"The Ark is a control room, similar to the one on Installation 04. It can remotely activate all of the rings. The precise position of where it is located, as I have clearly stated before, is unknown."
"Very well," The Arbiter responded. "We must find the location of the Ark." The Arbiter gave a fleeting look to the broken bodies of his brethren. Victory was theirs, but it had been purchased at a high cost.
Commander Miranda Keyes interrupted. "How, I must ask, are we going to do that?"
The unlikely quartet stood hushed. It was Guilty Spark who broke the silence. "There is an archive located on every ring." He alleged. "If Flood contamination is imminent and the ring shut down, a reclaimer could journey to the Archive to locate the site of the Ark."
"Where is this 'archive' located?" the Arbiter questioned.
"Approximately 959 kilometers southwest of this position," was the reply.
Sergeant Johnson recalled the speech he had given to men under his command on the Pillar of Autumn. "I don't care if it's a giant hula-hoop, or God's own, anti-son-of-a-bitch machine, we're not gonna let 'em have it!" His troops had fought bitterly for Halo, and now he was going to have to fight for every one of them.
"Well," the Sergeant barked, "we'd better get moving."
The foursome journeyed to the exterior of the ring's activation system, to be greeted by the Special Operations Commander, Mol 'Nolomee. The Elite was clad in his usual white ceremonial armor. He eyed the human distrustfully.
"Arbiter! You have defeated the Brutes?"
"Yes," The Arbiter answered. "Tartarus and his minions have been defeated."
The Spec Ops Commander noticed the grief in the Arbiter's face. "This is a great victory is it not? We should rejoice."
The Arbiter clicked his lower mandibles together, the Sangheili equivalent of a sigh. "This is a time for action. We must find the location of 'the Ark' to stop the activation of the rings."
"Then let us not waste time with empty words," 'Nolomee exclaimed. "We shall fight!"
"We still have one problem," Keyes whispered. "The In Amber Clad. If the Flood are able to repair the ship and launch into space, it would be a disaster."
"My Sentinels will handle the defense of this station," The Monitor hummed. ""The In Amber Clad will remain inoperational. I will make sure of it."
"And what of the humans," 'Nolomee murmured distrustfully.
"We are no longer a part of the Covenant," The Arbiter exclaimed. "The humans are now our allies."
"Shall be it," 'Nolomee answered. He glanced at Johnson and Keyes. If it meant winning the war, he would ally with the very creature he had been fighting for decades.
Johnson, Keyes, 'Nolomee, Guilty Spark, and the Arbiter boarded the Spec Ops Commander's Phantom. The Arbiter relayed information about the Ark to 'Nolomee, who agreed it was essential to stop the Prophet Truth from finding it. The Phantom touched down in a dank alcove, filled with lush vegetation. The unlikely group departed from the Phantom, searching for traces of an "Archive".
The Monitor chuckled. "You won't find the Archive by searching now. Let me deactivate the ring's security systems."
A bronze doorway shimmered into view, like a mirage in the desert. The gate began to creep open, leading to a subterranean portion of the ring. Howls of anguish seemed to emanate from within the chamber.
"I ain't afraid of no alien scumbag," Johnson said, pounding his chest. "Last time I was with the Flood, they just passed me up." The Sergeant had a rare syndrome, caused by severe exposure to plasma. He kept on muttering about "war medals" and "kicking alien ass" as he led the way. The hall progressively darkened until there was nothing but the Monitor's faint glow to lead the way. They witnessed Sentinel wreckages on their journey, until they came upon a sealed gate.
"I will deactivate the seal on this door," The Monitor said, floating away through a small passage near the side of the door. "I'm a genius."
The rest of the group stood on guard, waiting for the Monitor to return. A silver structure floated out through the passage.
"About time you got back tinkerbell," The Sergeant growled. Did you open the-"Johnson stood in surprise as the construct shot out a bright streak of light. 'Nolomee dashed in front of Johnson, shielding him from the streak of hellish light. His shields flickered vividly as they absorbed the brunt of the attack. The Spec Ops Commander drew two plasma rifles and fired a hail of light into the air, sending the Sentinel crashing to the ground.
"Human," 'Nolomee muttered.
"Yeah? Next time it will be your ass getting fried," Johnson said angrily. "Besides, we stopped your ape of a friend from activating Delta Halo. So we're even."
The Spec Ops Commander had no time to respond, as four more Sentinels entered the room, this time protected by energy shielding. Johnson fired a trio of precise shots, bringing two of the machines to the ground. The Arbiter drew his energy sword and slashed at the remaining Sentinels, destroying them and scattering their remains across the room.
The Monitor returned from the passageway, still humming. "The door has been unsealed," He claimed. The door hissed open, revealing only more darkness.
"Oracle, why are these machines attacking us? They are allied to you are they not?" the Arbiter questioned.
"Why yes, but the Sentinels of this facility are controlled by another monitor, 2401 Penitent Tangent. There is no way to stop the Sentinels from attacking, as they are designed to attack all who journey to the Archive."
"Very well," The Arbiter said, clenching his carbine more tightly. They would have to journey more vigilantly.
The group continued through the darkened hall until they came upon a massive room with a great chasm in the center of it. A colossal machine rose up from the abyss, an energy shield protecting its figure.
"An Enforcer!" 'Nolomee shouted. The Sentinel Major's two weapon systems came online. Crimson needles began discharging from the Enforcer's weapons, streaking towards the group.
"Scatter!" Johnson yelled. The scarlet needles impacted off Forerunner architecture, dispersing throughout the room. Keyes fired her dual sub-machine-guns, which deflected of the Enforcer's energy shield harmlessly. The Arbiter drew his Covenant carbine and fired at the Sentinel Major's shield repeatedly, overloading half of its two-sided shield, leaving it partially exposed.
Sentinels began to enter the room, filling the air with hellish light. Johnson's beam rifle tore through Sentinel Major's side, leaving an explosion in its wake. The Enforcer, tilted to its side, off-balance. The Arbiter made use of the opportunity to race towards the Enforcer and attach two plasma grenades on its underside. The Sentinel Major powered up its second weapon system just as the two grenades exploded, detonating on the Enforcer's propulsion drive. The machine stuttered and fell back into the abyss, leaving a trail of sparks and debris in its wake.
Johnson felt a scorching pain collide with his side. He shrugged it off, knowing he had been through far worse. The Sergeant turned and fired into the heart of the Sentinel swarm, bringing down three. One falling Sentinel collided with another, ensuing an explosion that brought down three more. Keyes turned and fired her SMGs into the group, creating a flurry of sparks and static as the remaining Sentinels were destroyed.
Johnson crouched down on one knee, clutching his side.
"Human," The Arbiter questioned. "Can you fight?"
"I'm good," The Sergeant answered, clenching his teeth. 'Nolomee punched one of the keys on a panel near the void. An energy bridge formed over the bottomless chasm.
"Don't look down," Johnson advised Keyes. The group crossed over to the other side of the bridge.
"The next door will lead to the center of the Archive," The Monitor said in its usual monotone voice. "I will leave to unseal the door."
"Oh hell no," the Sergeant barked. "Last time you left us, we were attacked by a bunch of those flying things. I'd rather not have it happen again."
"The only way to unseal the door is for me to journey to the subsystems of the archive and unlock the door," The Monitor insisted.
"Alright," Johnson said, walking towards the sealed door with a slight limp. Guilty Spark left through a slender passageway leaving the group shrouded in darkness once again.
Johnson witnessed a shadow move out of the corner of his eye. He raised his weapon, cautiously approaching the site of movement. A faint rustle reached the Sergeant's hearing from his left.
"Arbiter!" Johnson whispered. "Over here." All of a sudden the shadow leapt out at him. The creature howled and lashed at Johnson's face. Johnson ducked, the appendage of the creature missing him by only a few inches. The Arbiter opened fire with his carbine, hitting the life form straight in the chest. The Monitor returned, and in its bright blue glow the Arbiter could perceive what the creature was. It was not a Flood, nor a Sentinel. It was a Heretic.